BROWN CAT STUDIO - MANEKI NEKO

MANEKI NEKO

GOOD LUCK CATS

MANEKI NEKOS

I started hand-building maneki nekos in 2003, i had one in my cat collection and wasn't even aware of it's background until I met a new friend who helped feng shui our home and suggested a trade for the service. After a little research, (read about the legend) i'm amazed at their popularity and love creating my own westernized version of little lucky cats.

Maneki Neko Links

The size of my Maneki Nekos varies but the full size pieces are approximately 12" height x 8" width x 6" depth. I use low Fire sculpture clay on all of these pieces, they are Hand Glazed and fired multiple times. I like to add special touches such as bells and a few real cat whiskers, leaving a few holes empty for you to fill with your own whisker discoveries.

The styles shown below are just a few samples to give you an idea of lucky cats I create...if you have colors in mind feel free to write or call me with details.

COMMISSIONS

I will happily create a more specific piece for you, please provide me one or two photographs of your cat, via email or USPS and I ask for a minmum 50% deposit and prefer payment in full prior to accepting the work. Please note: My Commissioned work is slightly more expensive. The balance is due prior to shipping. I will email you a photograph of the completed work. • Allow about 4 weeks for creations and delivery of commissioned pieces.

I do take a degree of artistic license when I'm creating these little creatures so don't expect any portrait to be completely realistic...all cats have to be unique....Cynthia

browncy@tulsaschools.org

918/706-8051

The Legend of the Maneki Neko

A long time ago, a poor Buddhist priest looked after the run-down temple. He had a calico cat named Tama. The priest loved Tama, but with a ramshackle temple to tend and a hungry pet to feed, he was always in want of money. He told Tama he could no longer feed her and that she should go out in search of a better home, for they would soon be homeless. Tama would not leave and told the old priest to make prayers to Kannon, Goddess of Mercy and ask for her assistance.

A few days later a wealthy samurai named Naotaka Li passed by the temple during a fierce rainstorm. He took shelter under a nearby tree and spotted a cat, her left paw raised in a beckoning gesture. Curious about the cat, he followed Tama to the entrance of the temple. At that moment, lightning struck the tree, causing it to fall where the man had previously been standing.

Grateful to Tama for saving his life, the samurai became friends with the priest and adopted the temple as his family temple, and it was renamed Goutokuji. The temple became very prosperous and the priest and Tama lived a long and happy life together.

To this day, the Gotoku-ji Temple is famous for its cat cemetery where Tama is buried, and enshrined by a large statue of her.

Cat owners from all over Japan come to the temple to leave Maneki Neko statues as tributes, or to pray for their beloved pets.

Maneki Neko
(The Beckoning Cat)

Many cats become uncomfortable when they see strange people approaching.
To put itself at ease, a nervous cat will often wash its face. When it reaches its front paw up to rub its ear, it looks like it's beckoning someone, especially someone who is already about to approach it. The approaching human sees a beckoning cat.

To many Westerners, the raised paw of a Maneki Neko may look more like a wave than a beckoning gesture. But the Japanese beckon by holding up one hand, palm out, and waving. A Maneki Neko beckoning with its left paw is said to attract visitors. With a raised right paw, it invites wealth and good fortune. A cat with both paws in the air summons protection for the household or business that displays it. They say that the higher the paw, the greater the invitation - and the luckier the cat!